One common construction for stocking objects such as toys in a retail store is a multi-shelf sales and storage unit wherein the objects to be immediately sold are placed on lower shelves of the unit easily accessible to the purchasing consumers (the sales portion of the unit) and a quantity of the same objects are placed for storage on an upper shelf or shelves immediately above the lower shelves and accessible, e.g., only by means of a ladder or step-stool (the storage portion of the unit). In this manner, the sales staff in the store, upon an indication that the objects on the lower shelves of the unit are depleted or at a reduced level can position the ladder or step-stool to enable access to the upper shelf and transfer the objects from the storage portion maintained on the upper shelf or shelves to the sales portion of the unit. Thereafter, upon receipt of bulk shipments of the objects, it will only be necessary to restock the upper shelf or shelves.
The upper shelf on which the objects are stored is typically not covered, e.g., to enable the sales staff to readily ascertain that the quantity of the objects in storage is at a depleted or reduced level. However, in light of the fact that the upper shelf is uncovered and thus the objects in storage are viewable, a consumer faced with a lack of objects in the sales portion of the unit, i.e., on the lower shelves, will undoubtedly attempt to obtain the object from the storage portion of the unit, i.e., the upper shelf, in the absence of available sales staff to obtain the object for him or her. This may result in the consumer climbing on the unit and possibly damaging the same or causing injury to himself or herself.